1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hydraulic cylinder, particularly a hydraulic power cylinder for actuation of equipment, such as, for example, hoods on vehicles, the hydraulic cylinder including a cylindrical tube with a hydraulic attachment on at least one end and a sealed drive piston inside connected to the equipment to be actuated by a piston rod which itself can be fixed relative to the cylindrical tube by means of a fixing device.
2. The Prior Art
Hydraulic power cylinders for actuation of various equipment on vehicles are today subject, as major items, to relatively strict cost pressures so that most new features for these technically simple and mature components are more likely to deal with cost reduction by reduction in manufacturing and/or installation or storage costs. On the other hand, the respective improvements also must provide that the applications of these types of equipment or structural elements can also be expanded to areas in which, up until now, high costs have been the factor deciding against it.
In known arrangements of the type mentioned above, it has already been suggested, for example, that the cylindrical tube be built as a cast aluminum part closed on one end and having the required attachments for the hydraulic medium formed therewith in one piece. After production of the raw casting, the required forming is undertaken by machining prior to final assembly. On the other hand, hydraulic cylinders of the type mentioned above are known in which separately manufactured cover and base parts, which have the required attachments, seals, lines, and the like, are connected to a straight pipe section with minimal wall thickness used in between as the cylinder. In both cases, the final assembly is relatively simple, whereas the processing steps required for the manufacture of the cast parts, in particular, are more complicated and thus make the entire element relatively expensive.
The object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic cylinder of the type mentioned above but wherein the associated disadvantages of the known arrangements are avoided and the manufacture and assembly are simpler and more cost effective.